METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
The Metropolitan Museum of Art just received a modern art makeover after cosmetics mogul Leonard Lauder pledged to donate a collection of 78 cubist paintings to the famous museum. His collection has an estimated worth said to top one billion dollars.
This generous donation will certainly help alter the museum’s reputation. According to MET Director and CEO Thomas Campbell this donation will not only rival the MoMA’s modern art collection but it will also make The Metropolitan Museum one of the biggest hotspots for Cubist art in the world.
Now that the weather has finally warmed up, you’ll want nothing more than to be outdoors in the sunshine and breathing that fresh spring-scented air. Dining al fresco at a sidewalk café is always a nice way to relax on the weekends but the view isn’t always appealing. Who wants to look at people cleaning up after their dogs and inhaling taxi cab exhaust while they eat lunch? Thanks to the hundreds of thousands of high rises in the city, you’re options are numerous if you want to eat outside but without the distractions of the streets of Manhattan. Here are five of our favorite rooftop eateries and lounges to help you escape from the city’s hustle and bustle this spring.
Every year the Metropolitan Museum of Art hosts the annual gala filled with a-listers, fashion, and art. This year proved (as expected) to be another very fashionable evening. The museum was honoring the long-awaited opening of the Costume Institute exhibition Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations.
Visitors described the exhibit as being surreal, where The Cut even explained the video footage of Schiaparelli and Prada talking as, “…beautiful- playing in sharp resolution against the walls, almost like moving paintings.” The exhibit included classic quotes by Schiaparelli and Prada among the displays, as well as the designer duds from Prada shoes (including the latest designs), to the well-preserved antiques by Schiaparelli. As you can imagine, the exhibit itself is gasp-worthy.
For those inclined to spend their leisure away from the insidious allure of NYC’s night scene, there are plenty of culture-friendly alternatives in the art world. NYC being a veritable Mecca for artistry (in all forms), there is never shortage of brilliance on display. Whether it’s through paint, film, or photo, there is a plethora of skill layered within every medium.
Art appreciation is double-edged sword of sorts: fleeting in its exposure, though infinitely more desirable because of it. Don’t let these exhibits pass you by, for their presence is tantalizingly evanescent!
Culture encompasses more than the ubiquitous salacity of the evening. Enveloped within this complex institution are the finer arts—various mediums striving for expression in myriad form. As perhaps the most subjective element in human culture, Art’s multifaceted allure rests upon its ability to resonate in some and not others.
Therefore, any reporting of New York’s diverse art scene is incomplete without an equally versatile offering. In light of that, here are 5 recently (or soon to be) opened art exhibits occurring throughout the city.
Beijing, China, welcomed the opening of the Culture Chanel Exhibition Tour by Chanel. The National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) was the latest stop for the exhibit that was previously held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Shanghai last March, and is now open through December 13th, 2011. The Culture Chanel Exhibition highlights the relationships held between fashion icon Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel and leading artist that defined the 1920’s. Creative director Karl Lagerfield currently leads and produces the tour which features a collection of 1920’s vintage ready-to-wear dresses and jewelry designed by Chanel including her trademark tailored suit.
Improv Everywhere’s latest mission took place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the help of comedian, Chadwick Elliot. It was a fun mission that was a long time coming for the group. In response to an e-mail sent out by Improve Everywhere back in 2009 looking for people with unique skills, props, or locations, Elliot told the organized that he bore a striking resemblance to King Philip IV. He attached a picture of himself and the portrait hanging at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as proof.
Excited, Improv Everywhere decided that there would be a mission surrounding this painting once Elliot found the right costume. A few months later, having scrounged for the resources necessary to come up with something accurate, it seemed like things were set. The problem: the painting would be out for renovation, for months.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institution will be presenting its spring exhibit on May 5th 2010. The exhibit, American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity will be viewed through August 15th and includes feminine stylistic approaches from the 1890's to the 1940's and how they have affected how the women of America are perceived today. These iconic fashion pieces tell the story of how the American woman's style evolved and revolutionized all aspects of femininity including socially, politically and sexually.
This spring, the Met’s Costume Institute will host an exhibition that explores the role of models in the fashion industry. Entitled, “Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion,” the show will investigate the ways in which models inspire designers and embody trends. Some seventy haute couture and ready-to-wear looks will be featured along with photography and video footage of iconic models, rock stars, socialites and actresses. The retrospective will range from revolutionary looks by Poiret to nineties muses like Shalom Harlow.
The exhibit will open on May 4 with The Costume Institute’s annual gala benefit. Marc Jacobs has been named the night’s honorary chair with fashion icons Kate Moss, Justin Timberlake and Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour acting as co-chairs. Along with Jacobs’ work, curators plan to include pieces by designers such as Azzedine Alaïa, Balenciaga, Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Donna Karan, Helmut Lang, Lanvin, Claude Montana, Ralph Lauren, Prada, Jil Sander, Christian Dior, Versace and Viktor & Rolf. Prints from renowned fashion photographers Avedon, David Bailey, Horst, Steven Meisel, Helmut Newton and Bert Stern are also in the plans.
Open to the public May 6 to August 9 in the Tisch Galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
 |
 |
 |
 |
